Stenographer&#39;s desk



y 1957 c. u. DEATON 2,793,926

STENOGRAPHER'S DESK Filed July 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sneet l 2 7 i II H) H; t' 1 l 4i /0 INVENTOR. 42 I31 CHARLES U. DEATON BY a 3 HTTOR/VE) May 28, 1957 2,793,926-

C. U. DEATON STENOGRAPHERS DESK Filed July 12 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR.

CHARLES U. DEATON BY United States Patent STENOGRAPHERS DESK Charles U. Deaton, ,Crestwood, Mo. Application July-12, 1954,-Serial No. 442,723

3 Claims; (Cl..3121 19,4)

This invention relates in; general-;to -=certain new and useful improvementsin commercial 'furniture and, more particularly; to a stenographers desk."

It is the primary object of-the-present invention-to provide a stenographers desk which is not only uniquely attractive in aesthetic appearance and design, but is extremely efficient. inthe arrangement and-mechanical interrelation -of its -.various component elements, so as toiconduce tothe comfort and elfectiveworbof the stenographer using the desk.

It; is another object of the present invention to provide a; stenographerfs desk of the type stated,, which 'is rugged in construction and will withstand-extensive, hard; use for a long period of time.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stenographers desk of the type stated, which can be manufactured efiiciently by mass production furniture manufacturing methods and will be economical in cost in comparison with existing devices of a similar nature.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stenographers desk constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the stenographers desk;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the stenographers desk;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the stenographers desk;

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the stenographers desk; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6--6 of Figure 2.

Referring now in more 'detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a stenographers desk comprising a flat, relatively heavy top panel 1 having an upwardly presented horizontal surface 2, which extends across the entire area thereof and provides an uninterrupted planar working surface. The top panel 1 is cut away preferably at the forward left-hand corner (reference being made to Figure 4), so that the top panel 1 presents an L-shaped general configuration or contour. Extending vertically downwardly from the margins of the L-shaped cut-out are rear and end walls 3, 4, joined at their lower horizontal edges to a forwardly extending horizontal leaf or sub-top 5, which is substantially coincident along its side margin with the left-hand lateral margin of the top panel 1, and has a forwardly presented margin which is parallel to the wall 3, but is indented or offset rearwardly from the forward margin of the top panel 1, substantially as shown in Figure 3.

Secured upon the under side of the right-hand or fullwidth portion of the top panel 1 and extending downwardly therefromis a-rectilinear cabinetstructure 6, which is closed omits-side, rear-and bottom-walls-and is opento the front for housing threeconventionally mounted drawers 7, 8, 9.=

The cabinet structure 6 terminates in upwardly spaced relation-to the floor or supporting-structureupon which the desk is mounted and-is-provided, adjacent its front margin, with a short depending;leg=10. Furthermore,

the desk, the top panel 1' and leaf '5 are respectively provided-with two'full-length legs; 12, 13; whichare cros'sv connectedby-a short vertical end panel 14, which is, in turn, tied-into the cabinet"structure and the underside 1 of the leaf .5 by means-of anapron-panel 15,- which latterpanel serves s not only the structuralpurposeof reinforcingthe-legs 12, 13, and panel 14, but also provides a screen for thekneesand skirt line of the stenographer.

The :under =face=ofathe full-width or right-hand. portion of'thentoppanebl is prQVided-Wit-h-a rectangular recess 16, the forward longitudinalmargin of which'is bordered 1 by an under-lying and inwardly-projecting rail 1.7." The rearward longitudinal margin of the recess 16 is provided with an inwardly cut -relatively'narrow kerf-like' slot 18, which interiorly= opens intoan-'upwardly projecting enlargedqchannel -19. The. -slot* -'18 and channel 19 extend-- continuously outwardly frorn the recess-16 into the back wall 3, substantially as shown in Figures 2 and 6. Slidably mounted within the recess 16 and snugly fitted thereto is a slide-leaf 20, which is operatively retained within the recess by the rail 17 along its forward margin, and along its rearward margin is provided with an underlying and rearwardly extending metal guide-strip 21, which projects into the slot 18 and at its rearward margin is folded up in a U-shaped bead 22 of somewhat resilient or springy nature and sized to fit snugly and slidably within the channel 19. The slide-leaf 20 is slightly greater in length than the recess 16 and projects outwardly therefrom on its left-hand margin to provide a convenient edge-portion which can be gripped by the fingers of the stenographer using the desk to facilitate sliding the leaf 20 from its fully retracted position, as shown in full lines in Figure 4, to its extended or withdrawn position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. In this latter position, the slide leaf 20 will be spaced upwardly by a substantial distance from the upper or working surface of the leaf 5 so as to clear any papers, files, or any other work-material which the stenographer may be using on that portion of the leaf 5.

The leaf 5 is of suflicient width and length so that a typewriter may be placed thereon in the shaded area outlined in dotted lines in Figure 4, leaving adequate working area on the top surface of the leaf 5 on each side of the typewriter. It will also be noted that the leg 13 is oifset rearwardly from the forward margin of the leaf 5 by a suflicient distance so that it will offer no substantial interference with the knees or legs of the stenographer. Finally, when the stenographer is typing and has papers or other working-material spread out over the top of the leaf 5, it is possible, without gathering up such papers or placing them to one side, to perform some interim task by simplying pulling out the leaf 20, which will ride over the top of the workingmaterial already on the leaf 5 and provide a new, unimpeded working area for such interim occupation. Similarly, the particular design and mechanical arrangement of the areas of the stenographers desk of the present invention provide a large, uninterrupted working area to the back and right-hand side of the typing area and a double-width drawer space, which is also to the right of Patented May 28, 1957 the typing area and completely out of the way, but, nevertheless, readily accessible when needed.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the stenographers desk may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A stenographers desk comprising an L-shaped horizontal top having angularly disposed sections, a sub-top rigidly mounted in downwardly spaced parallel relation to the top and being located between the top-forming sections, two vertical walls disposed at right angles to each other and mounted edgewise between the top and the sub-top adjacent to the inner margins of the L-shaped horizontal top, one of said vertical walls having a long narrow horizontal slot, the inner end of which is adjacent to the face of the other vertical wall, and a rigid planar slide-leaf shiftably mounted within said slot for optional disposition under the top and being adapted for slidable movement outwardly over the sub-top, said slide-leaf being supported, when in extended position, by the slot and by the other vertical wall so that its outwardly presented margins are free and unsupported.

2. A stenographers desk comprising an L-shaped horizontal top having angularly disposed sections, a sub-top rigidly mounted in downwardly spaced parallel relation to the top and being located between the top-forming sections, two walls mounted edgewise between the subtop adjacent the inner margin of the L-shaped horizontal top, one of said walls having a slot therein, the inner end of which is adjacent to the face of the other wall, and a rigid slide-leaf shiftably mounted within said slot for optional disposition under the top and for sliding movement outwardly over the sub-top, said slide-leaf being supported, when in extended position, by the slot and by said other vertical wall so that its outwardly presented margins are free and unsupported.

3. A stenographers desk comprising an L-shaped horizontal top having angularly disposed sections, a sub-top rigidly mounted in downwardly spaced parallel relation to the top and being located between the top-forming sections, two walls disposed at right angles to each other and mounted edgewise between the top and sub-top adjacent the inner margins of the L-shaped horizontal top, a rigid slide-leaf having one longitudinal margin shiftably mounted in one wall for optional disposition under one section of the top and for sliding movement outwardly over the sub-top, said slide-leaf being supported, when in extended position, by the two walls so that its outwardly presented margins are free and unsupported.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 140,514 Myers Mar. 6, 1945 923,739 Walker et a1. June 1, 1909 1,585,102 Langdon May 18, 1926 1,849,726 Reed Mar. 15, 1932 2,328,019 Jones Aug. 31, 1943 2,341,914 Fleischman Feb. 15, 1944 

